Explanation: Is that a spaceship or a cloud? Although it may seem like an alien mothership, it's actually a impressive thunderstorm cloud called a supercell. Such colossal storm systems center on mesocyclones -- rotating updrafts that can span several kilometers and deliver torrential rain and high winds including tornadoes. Jagged sculptured clouds adorn the supercell's edge, while wind swept dust and rain dominate the center. A tree waits patiently in the foreground. The above supercell cloud was photographed in 2010 July west of Glasgow, Montana, USA, caused minor damage, and lasted several hours before moving on.

Follow APOD on: Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram, or Twitter

<<  Fevral'  >> Pn Vt Sr Cht Pt Sb Vs     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28           1995   1996   1997 1998   1999   2000 2001   2002   2003 2004   2005   2006 2007   2008   2009 2010   2011   2012 2013   2014   2015 2016   2017   2018 2019   2020   2021 2022   2023   2024

Yanvar' Fevral' Mart Aprel' Mai Iyun' Iyul' Avgust Sentyabr' Oktyabr' Noyabr' Dekabr'

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami: thunderstorm - atmosfernye yavleniya - atmosfernyi front Publikacii so slovami: thunderstorm - atmosfernye yavleniya - atmosfernyi front
Sm. takzhe: Stolby sveta nad Vnutrennei Mongoliei Yuvyaskulya na nebe Snezhnaya burya 1938 goda v Verhnem Michigane "STIV" i Mlechnyi Put' peresekayutsya nad sel'skoi dorogoi Svechenie neba nad Franciei Raznocvetnoe svechenie atmosfery vokrug Mlechnogo Puti Stolb sveta nad vulkanom Etna Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >>